Anti-theft functionalities for mobile communication devices are intended to render the features on the devices inoperable to unauthorized users when the devices are lost or stolen. For example, the anti-theft functionalities on a mobile communication device may prevent a user from resetting the hardware of the mobile communication device to a default factory setting unless the proper anti-theft protection credential is supplied to the anti-theft functionalities. The proper credential may include authentication credential that is inputted by an authorized user during an initial configuration of the mobile communication device. Accordingly, the anti-theft functionalities may prevent a malicious person from hardware resetting a lost or stolen mobile communication device to a default factory setting, and then bartering or selling the device as an unencumbered device to an unsuspecting third-party.
However, the anti-theft functionalities may in some instances have unintended consequences. For example, authorized users who desire to hardware reset mobile communication devices for legitimate purposes, such as to recover from a software error, may forget their anti-theft protection credentials. As a result, customer care calls from authorized users who find themselves in such a situations may create additional work and expense for a telecommunication carrier. In addition, telecommunication carriers who operate trade-in programs may receive mobile communications devices that cannot be properly reset for secondary sales due to the failures of authorized users to disable anti-theft functionalities prior to trading in their devices.